Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes was 232,786 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa stood at 232,786.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 30.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 544,465 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 139,153, in 2003.
South Africa ranks 11th of 201 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 544,465 | — |
| 1999 | 320,493 | -41.1% |
| 2000 | 316,203 | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 193,691 | -38.7% |
| 2003 | 139,153 | -28.2% |
| 2004 | 244,449 | +75.7% |
| 2015 | 333,756 | +36.5% |
| 2016 | 249,708 | -25.2% |
| 2018 | 248,755 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 303,153 | +21.9% |
| 2020 | 279,843 | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 189,078 | -32.4% |
| 2022 | 234,344 | +23.9% |
| 2023 | 232,786 | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 432,479 | 320,493 | 544,465 | 2 |
| 2000s | 223,374 | 139,153 | 316,203 | 4 |
| 2010s | 283,843 | 248,755 | 333,756 | 4 |
| 2020s | 234,013 | 189,078 | 279,843 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa?
- Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa was 232,786 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 544,465 in 1991.
- What is the lowest repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 139,153 in 2003.
- How does South Africa rank for repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 11th out of 201 countries with data for 2023.
- Is repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release